Gypsies of a Strange and Distant Time
by kelinor
Summary: (I know the first chapters are boring, please stick with it...)Disaster strikes when Sam and Jack are flung through a subspace interface to another planet. Where have they arrived? And can the two strangers lead Daniel and Teal'c to find them? PLEASE R&R!
1. Chapter 1

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Gypsies of a Strange and Distant Time  
  
Author: Kitty Pierce Disclaimer: I don't own any of the SGC (god knows I wish I did), but Kaylyna, Robskere, the Vanir-ta and their equipment are mine. So there. *slaps hand away* No that you'd want them anyway.  
  
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Daniel picked up his files, hesitated, then put them down again and scribbled a hasty note on top of them. Collecting it up, he then set off towards the briefing room. Outside his door he almost ran down Major Carter, who was also walking hurriedly there.  
  
"Oh! Sam... thank God I'm not the only one late then," he said, grinning and falling into step beside her. She made a non-committal noise, not looking up, and headed towards her seat as they came in. Daniel shot a quizzical look towards Jack and Teal'c, already in place. The Colonel was sprawled in his chair already bored, and he shrugged. As the two tardy members of SG-1 slipped into their seats, General Hammond cleared his throat.  
  
"I'm glad you remembered to bring your notes, Doctor Jackson, however late they might be." Daniel ducked his head apologetically.  
  
"The Tok'ra will be sending their scientists through the Gate in about half an hour or so," continued the General, "and as you know they are especially interested in this artefact. Did you manage to translate the machine's inscriptions?"  
  
"Almost all, General. I believe it's something to do with a shielding device involving complexities of space-time, or something like that. I had hoped to work with Sam and the scientists to understand it properly..."  
  
In the background Jack started spinning his pen round and round his fingers, and then scooting it around the table in front of him. Another damned 'alien artefact'. Always with the artefacts. Perfectly nice planet, P7Q 611, but after blowing up a couple forests, taking out a dozen or so Jaffa, all they had brought back was another artefact. Great! Technology. As long as it works, I'll put my faith in it and Carter's knowledge, and leave it at that. But always such a great tizzwazz about it. And now the Tok'ra wanting to get in on it as well... he'd be tied up in diplomatic niceties until the weekend. Jack's pen went skittering across the table to hit General Hammond's file. As the balding man took in an annoyed breath, suddenly they were all interrupted.  
  
"Unscheduled offworld activation," blared the security system, flashing red lights everywhere. Jack pushed his chair back hurriedly and got to his feet with the others. "The Tok'ra are quite early, wouldn't you say?" commented Daniel as they headed down to the command room. General Hammond shot Jack a reproachful look as the Colonel sauntered down to the Gate room, glad for the interruption. Daniel and Teal'c followed him, whilst Sam followed silently after the general.  
  
In the command room the officer sat back expectantly as the wormhole was established, waiting for the Tok'ra ID to come through.  
  
And waited, and waited.  
  
As he turned to look at General Hammond, suddenly a signal came through. "It's an unrecognised code, sir," he reported worriedly, locking onto the trace. "Definitely not the Tok'ra."  
  
Beside the General, Sam sat down and began isolating the trace herself. Finally she looked up. "This isn't an information signal, sir, nor even one designed to keep the Stargate open," she stated, her blank mood lifting slightly to puzzlement.  
  
"Could it be the Goa'uld?"  
  
"I think it highly unlikely, sir, it doesn't show any traces of significance... it's more like a sweeper trace..." she replied, frowning at the screen. Just then something lightly bumped into the iris below.  
  
The soldiers with their weapons locked on the Gate looked confused, and then to Colonel O'Neill as he stood there with Teal'c.  
  
"Sir?" he called up to the command station above. The bump repeated suddenly, as if something was knocking to come in, right at the bottom of the iris.  
  
General Hammond frowned. "Do you have any idea of what it is on the other side?" he asked Carter, who shook her head.  
  
"I don't believe it's a danger though, sir," she said, getting up from her chair to look at the Gate below.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Well, what do we send through the gate when we're unsure of what's on the other side?"  
  
"The probe."  
  
"Exactly sir, with a sweeper trace. I think we're looking at something similar here."  
  
"We can't let it in, Major."  
  
"It's keeping the gate engaged, sir, and the Tok'ra are due quite soon... and we have the team at stations in case of Goa'uld attack..." Sam said, glancing back at him.  
  
"Nevertheless, it's out of the question." Said the General firmly.  
  
The officer looked up from his computer. "The signal has changed, sir," he reported, bringing up the relevant screen. Sam bent down to look.  
  
"It's audio now," she said, dropping back down her seat.  
  
"Well?" called up Jack, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow as he looked up at the command station.  
  
"Give us a minute or two, Colonel!" said the General, half glaring at him. Jack rolled his eyes, and yawned ostentatiously.  
  
"Watch out, Teal'c, the little bump sounds incredibly dangerous," he commented to the Jaffa beside him, rocking back on his heels.  
  
"On the contrary, O'Neill, I feel that the noise does not in fact - "  
  
"I know, Teal'c."  
  
Sam finished cleaning up the signal and it suddenly came into focus. A tinny replay echoed out. "I don't understand, Robskere, why - *@#':*% - the Linerek normally travels - @5$##;:& - hitch, like on all the expeditions - " came an exasperated female voice crackled through, broken by static. The command crew exchanged puzzled looks.  
  
"A probe then?" said General Hammond slowly.  
  
"I would suspect so, sir," said Carter, the faintest trace of smugness mixed with annoyance in her voice.  
  
General Hammond leant towards the microphone.  
  
"We're going to open the iris. Teams be ready to repel enemy attack," he said bluntly, before nodding to the officer, who tapped in the iris activation code.  
  
In the Gate room below, the soldiers trained their guns once more as the iris jerkily unswirled, revealing the blue event horizon rippling gently. Jack dropped his arms and whispered, "Finally," to Teal'c and Daniel.  
  
Around them fingers tightened on triggers as something emerged from the Stargate. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 A/N: Sorry this one is short. Bleh.  
  
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A small machine almost seemed to poke its front through the event horizon cautiously. As it came further forward it could be seen that it had no wheels, but hovered on whirring air jets. A thing that looked suspiciously like a camera turned slowly round as the thing gliding gently down the ramp towards the soldiers.  
  
"Hold your fire," said O'Neill, still looking warily at it. In the command room the static-filled signal could still be heard.  
  
"Oh, its got - &%##%@ - viewer working, Robskere, look! Is that peopl - @#%^ - take a look? " The machine got to the bottom of the ramp and set off towards the soldiers, who were staring at it in bemused fascination. Jack kicked it and glared at the marines, who hurriedly looked back at the Stargate. Just as well.  
  
Abruptly two people stepped in, emerging through the event horizon. At the clicking of guns trained in their direction, they froze.  
  
They were humanoid, deeply tanned brown haired people, a man and a woman. The seemed to be quite young The woman's long hair had intricate red braiding decorating the waves framing a narrow face, and the man had a leather and red embroidered headband over dark short curly hair. They both had a crimson tattoo marking across their left forehead, of zigzag lines curling around the eye and a sun and triangle design above the eye. Their clothing was loosely cut sandy material, but belted neatly, both wearing trousers of a sort and sturdy boots. A pen seemed incongruously stuck in the top pocket of the woman's pale shirt, and she seemed to be taking in more the surroundings than her companion, who was warily eying the hostile soldiers. They both had strange devices strapped to their left hand, with bindings tightly down the wrist and arm, and the way the man was holding his hand showed it was clearly a weapon of some kind. O'Neill's first reaction was that it was a Goa'uld arm weapon, but on second look the arm bindings seemed to be leather, and the metal had a curious green sheen to it. He shook his head.  
  
"Hold it right there," Colonel O'Neill's voice rang out in the Gate room. The pair of people both turned their heads towards him, the man with his hand swung forward pointing at them, his other hand at his side. The woman wore a kind of bemused smile.  
  
"Hand over your weapons and state your business," continued the Colonel, a zat gun pointed steadily at them as he walked unhurriedly up to the metal ramp.  
  
The hovering machine meanwhile had bumped into the back wall of the room and was turning aimlessly in circles. The man's eyes darted to it, but the woman began to speak first.  
  
"We mean no harm," she said clearly, suddenly being recognisable as the voice on the transmission. She unclipped the bindings on her arm at the elbow, and began to unwind it, nudging her companion to do similarly.  
  
"We are but explorers, trying to discover what worlds lay behind the Sider- Ost," she continued sincerely, a faint alien accent to her English as she flipped over the protruding metal of the device on her hand and it folded neatly in on itself. Proffering the device and its dangling straps, along with a gun-like object from a hip pocket, she earnestly nodded her honesty.  
  
"Sider-Ost?" interjected Daniel, looking interested and coming up beside Jack, who inwardly sighed.  
  
"Short for Sidera-per-Ostium, that thing," she said, pointing back at the Stargate. "My brother and I have been researching..."  
  
Jack stepped forward hurriedly and took the weapons, nodding to Teal'c as he disarmed the silent man.  
  
"You can explain all this later. We'll just take you out to some holding rooms for now. Take the... machiney thing with you." The woman looked confused, but Daniel tapped Jack on the shoulder.  
  
"I'll go with them? You can sort out the Tok'ra?"  
  
"Gee, thanks, Daniel. What I always wanted. Sure, go ahead, whatever. Just keep them out of the way," said Jack impatiently. The brown man, standing between two soldiers, spoke his first words.  
  
"I do not understand, what have we done wrong?"  
  
"Come through at the wrong time," said Daniel aside as the two aliens were escorted off, a couple of marines trying to herd the floating machine behind them.  
  
"Some friends of ours are due to come through the Stargate. Can I ask you something? Sidera-per-Ostium? Doorway through to the Stars?"  
  
The woman looked surprised. "That is how it would be rendered nowadays, certainly. How did you know?"  
  
Daniel's eyes gleamed as the Stargate suddenly began to activate behind them.  
  
"Let me tell you a little bit about this planet. Have you ever heard of a language called Latin?" 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
"Well, Jacob, I see you and Selmak are going to be happy with this machine," said Jack, turning away from where the two Carters and several other beige-clad Tok'ra were examining the object. Jacob looked up.  
  
"I believe it could be something to equal the Goa'uld shielding devices, but with its own subtle twist," said Selmak, something pick-outable as excitement in his strange voice. "But without the help of Doctor Jackson, some of it is not immediately clear..."  
  
"Well, Danny is down with the two aliens that appeared through our Stargate this morning. Did we tell you about that? Two random explorers coming through the event horizon - "  
  
"- Out of the blue - " rumbled Teal'c in the background. Jack glanced round, then double looked at the tall Jaffa. Teal'c face was impassive, but Jack caught the slightest hint of laughter lurking there. Turning back with a grin, he continued his answer.  
  
"– yeah, out of the blue. Daniel's down there extracting information about their civilization or something, you know how he's like. Apparently this woman and her brother are archaeologist- slash – scientist types. Always poking into things, you know?"  
  
"His help would be greatly appreciated right now," said Sam coldly.  
  
"Uh, I'll just go and get him, shall I?" said Jack, catching the edge in his 2IC's voice and turning on his heel.  
  
"You do that, sir."  
  
"Carter, Jacob, gentlemen..." said the Colonel as he waved a little before exiting. After a moment Teal'c followed him.  
  
Sam sighed, before picking up the component in front of her. Her father leaned forward, and this time is was Jacob who spoke.  
  
"Sam, are you all right?" he said in a low tone, glancing back at the door and then towards his daughter again.  
  
"I'm fine, Dad. Just annoyed."  
  
"With who? Jack?"  
  
"At everything." Especially him. "Just put it down as one of my moods, I'll be all right in the morning. Till then, you can just leave it, okay?"  
  
She favoured Jacob with a sudden smile, then bent back to her work.  
  
Meanwhile down at the hospital area, Daniel was sitting cross-legged on the floor with the two aliens, who refused the chairs. The man rarely spoke, and was examining the machinery around. The woman was answering Daniel's eager questions.  
  
"I am pleased to meet you, Daniel Jackson. My birthname is Kaylyna Njossvik, and this is my brother Robskere." She waved an arm in the direction of the latter, who nodded briefly. Daniel dipped his head.  
  
"Great. Well, this is the planet Earth, as you might already know. I'd better ask the important questions first..." He ticked off things on his fingers. "1, why are you here, 2 who sent you, and 3 did you know this address already?" He favoured her with a rueful grin. "The Colonel would have my ass if I couldn't even tell him that."  
  
Kaylyna laughed. "That is the grey-haired annoyed soldier? We must not annoy him more, no?"  
  
"Wouldn't really be a good idea."  
  
"That is alright. As for your questions... why are we here? Well, Robskere and I are explorers of a kind. The city elder council sent us out to investigate the ruins that were revealed by the earthquake, and since I know many of the old picture languages – I specialise in ancient tongues – "  
  
Daniel grinned.  
  
"– and my brother is expert in machinery and contraptions, we volunteered."  
  
"Is it just the two of you exploring this Stargate? You're on your own in the ruins?" said Daniel surprised. The woman squirmed slightly and looked to the side. Robskere looked down from his scanning of the equipment.  
  
"Kaylyna has not told the elders of the discovery of this Sider-Ost," he remarked, grinning slightly.  
  
"Curious."  
  
"They would ruin the chances! Now Robske and I can collect all the lanuguages and technology without being bothered... and the City would be sure to take all the military technology that we have left on other worlds..."  
  
"Is that arm-strap weapon something you have discovered, or is it something native to your planet?"  
  
"That is a Vanir-ta device, our own," she nodded. "The brekenn-ah can render creatures paralyzed, but do nothing else. The side gun is to kill – if we have to."  
  
Kaylyna suddenly looked sombre. "We have drifted away from the questions you ask, Daniel Jackson."  
  
"Call me Daniel. I don't mind, as long as you can tell me more about your planet," said the archaeologist, taking off his glasses to clean them, then replacing them. "You see, I am a studier of ancient languages myself, and explorer of offworld cultures.."  
  
"You are?" The brown woman's eyes turned wide, and then calculating, and she went to take the pen out of her pocket. "Can I have a writing implement, and a plaque? Mine has been taken..."  
  
"Here's a pen." Daniel proffered his biro. "But can we get back to the ruins?"  
  
"Why should I answer your questions?" said the woman, tilting her head to the side, pausing as she fruitlessly searched her pockets. "You have told me nothing about your world yet. Is it all underground, are these caves?"  
  
"Oh, I see. You want an information exchange," replied Daniel, not answering her question. Two could play that game.  
  
"We are a civilised people, the Vanir-ta. We do not hold people at gunpoint for knowledge." "Neither do we. I don't see why we can't agree to a trade... I must first ask my superior though."  
  
"Is he your priest?"  
  
"What? Oh, no, priests do not hold positions of importance on our planet – well most of the time. I'll tell you all about it later. How about some food while I go and find out?"  
  
"That would be fitting and kind."  
  
Daniel nodded as he got to his feet and headed for the door.  
  
"I'll sort something out. We would not allow our guests to go hungry."  
  
"Thor be thanked," said Robskere wryly aside to his sister.  
  
Daniel stopped dead in the doorway, and turned around. "Who?" 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
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Just then Colonel O'Neill came striding down the hallway. "Hey, Daniel. Carter wants you," he said to the frozen archaeologist.  
  
"Did you say Thor?" repeated Daniel excitedly.  
  
"Of course," said Robskere puzzled, then grinned. "We often have to explain to the godless cultures. You see – "  
  
"Look, Daniel, they really want you right now," said Jack, taking the bemused Daniel by the arm and propelling him backwards. "Carter's more than a little pissed right now, and you don't want to aggravate her any more."  
  
"But – "Daniel stopped and thought a minute. "I'll be right back," he promised the Vanir-tari, before jogging off upstairs.  
  
Jack started after him, then thought about it and came back in. He was worried about Carter; he still valued her very much as his 2IC and friend. His mind ruthlessly pushed back any other possibilities that bubbled treacherously to the surface. Whatever his thoughts on the subject, he most definitely wasn't the person she wanted to see right now. Sighing, he strolled over to where the aliens were seated. The man, Robskar or something, was watching the computer screen in the corner carefully, and the woman was tapping a biro on the floor, looking around for something. Jack nodded to them as he sat on the edge of a table.  
  
"You two all right? Looking for something?" he asked Kaylyna. She looked up at him with a spark of recognition.  
  
"You are Corner O'Neill?" "That's Colonel."  
  
"Sorry, Colonel. I don't suppose you could give me my notebook and stylus back, would you?" she asked beseechingly.  
  
Jack looked dubious. "I don't know, it depends. Look, I'm really sorry for this delay... but our visitors are taking up our main people. We'll be able to come back to you soon."  
  
"But it has been hours already!" Kaylyna protested. "We must feed the tyrfon, and close up our base camp for the night. But I do wish to stay here and explore a bit more – your planet is an intriguing place."  
  
"Yeah, well, we'll just have to see about that," said Jack, getting up and going over to watch the screen displays, standing next to the absorbed man.  
  
"Hey there."  
  
"Greetings."  
  
"Robskar is it?"  
  
"Robskere Njossvik."  
  
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Jack O'Neill."  
  
"May the Asgard bless this meeting," said Robskere absently, the formality tripping off his tongue.  
  
Jack looked sideways at him. The Colonel wasn't as stupid as he played, and realised how little they knew of this other culture. God knows he wasn't Daniel, but he could have a little investigate himself.  
  
"Right. I was wondering... do you often meet other people through the Stargate?"  
  
"If that is the Sider-Ost to which you refer. Most of the cultures we meet are not as advanced as us, little more than primitives. Some even worship the evil Haigypton gods, and then we are forced to flee. But your civilization... though not quite as advanced as us, has many curious permutations. What does this device do?"  
  
The taciturn man pointed at one of the many pieces of hospital equipment. Jack shrugged.  
  
"Who knows, I'm not a scientist. I'm actually in charge of exploration teams through the Stargate. We meet a lot of other civilizations – with a lot of religions. Haigypton?"  
  
"You would have to ask Kaylyna about that."  
  
"That's your sister?"  
  
"Yes. According to the ancient texts or something, there were the Haigypton gods that our ancestors worshipped – Ra, Hathor, Osiris and so on. But we found out that they are all evil entities, and our own gods battle them."  
  
"That would be the Asgard?"  
  
"You have heard of them?"  
  
~~~Yes, they beam me up on a regular basis~~~ did not seem to be the best answer. "Sure. We had similar mythos on this planet. I really think you ought to talk to Daniel about this. He's the one with all the knowledge on ancient stuff."  
  
"I could say the same about my sister. She is the curious one. I just adapt technology and then do the fighting for her."  
  
"Same galaxy over. Sounds like Danny boy to me. Look, ah – did you say you were an expert on techno stuff?"  
  
"I find myself with some knowledge in that area, yes."  
  
"Maybe you could help us with something."  
  
The noise of a foot tapping behind them made both men turn around.  
  
"Corner O'Neill." Said Kaylyna impatiently.  
  
"That's Colonel."  
  
"Doctor Daniel said he would get some food for us. And you said you would find my notebook."  
  
"I never said – "  
  
And Robskere, we are here to do an exchange of information. Kerrenen hal ist sljorv mor tayren!"  
  
"Asken hal. Fithrok Asgard gemorren." retorted Robskere, before falling silent. Jack crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Are you two quite finished?" he said sarcastically.  
  
"I am sorry, Cornel," said Kaylyna smiling sweetly but with the faintest edge in her voice. "When will we be able to go?"  
  
Jack nodded at the silent Robskere. "You come and help the Tok'ra with this machine, and maybe we can do something for us in return." He strode over to the phone on the wall. The brown woman looked at him with puzzlement breaking through her annoyance. "The Resistance? Why do you speak the language of the Haigyptons?"  
  
"Why don't we make that one of the things we tell you in return." said Jack shortly, tapping in the number and allowing himself a smirk at the expression on Kaylyna's face. 


	5. CHapter 5

Chapter 5 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Carter barely looked up as the phone rang. General Hammond, who was conversing with the head of the Tok'ra scientists, excused himself politely and then went over to the phone. After speaking for a few minutes, he said his thanks and then returned to the table, where Jacob and another were pulling the side off the artefact and showing it to Daniel, who ran his finger down the page of notes before him, searching for the piece of translation.  
  
"I think that says 'For the use of - "  
  
"Gentlemen?" cut in the General. "Colonel O'Neill believes that one of our alien visitors of this morning could possibly help us with this machine. He's escorting them up now."  
  
"How will they be able to help?" queried Selmak, looking up from the machine part he held out to Daniel.  
  
"Apparently the man knows something of technology. I don't see any harm in showing them."  
  
"I know the pair have no military designs on any technology they discover," put in the archaeologist seriously.  
  
"That's a point. When you're done here, Doctor Jackson, could you and Colonel O'Neill get some useful information from those two? They've kind of been put on hold, as it were... "said Hammond thoughtfully.  
  
"No problem, General Hammond," nodded Daniel, picking up the paper he was holding and showing it to Jacob. Sam was still absorbed in the part that Daniel had surmised was the sub-space inverter. She seemed withdrawn somehow; Daniel was worried about her. He had expected a seething Carter after what Jack had said, but here was just a pensive silent Carter.  
  
"Can I get you some coffee, Sam, Jacob?" he said, putting his notes file on the desk as he got up. Jacob looked up and nodded gratefully. Sam didn't answer, and Daniel was about to repeat the question when he heard the door opening. Sam looked up quickly at the voice, and then down again.  
  
"Sir."  
  
Jack held the door with a sarcastic sweep of his arm as the two Vanir-ta came in cautiously behind him. General Hammond nodded.  
  
"Colonel. And welcome, our guests. I'm General Hammond, running this outfit here."  
  
"And not a priest," added Kaylyna, dipping her head in respect and smiling. The General looked a little non-plussed.  
  
"This is Kaylyna, and Robskere, Njossvik. They dropped by this morning," said O'Neill, going to lean against the back wall. The two aliens stepped towards the table and were greeted by the Tok'ra working there.  
  
Robskere picked up a piece hesistantly, then looked around.  
  
"This is an intriguing device," he said, moving over to the component recently discarded by Jacob and Daniel. "It reminds me of that sub-space inverter remote we saw..."  
  
Daniel permitted himself a grin. In the background, Sam, who had been busy with the tiny crystal drive, slotted the final one in. A pale green light infused it, and it started emitting a low gentle hum. A ghost of a smile flitted across her sombre face. General Hammond turned round at the sound, and curiosity overcoming his state the Colonel wandered over to the table to look. One of the Tok'ra scientists, Sargitlin, carefully leant over to fit another piece on, and the hum soared up an octave.  
  
"Looks like you might have something there, Sam," said Jacob excitedly. Kaylyna looked up from where she was peering over Daniel's shoulder at his notes.  
  
"Robske, I don't think that this - " she began.  
  
Her words subsided into silence. As Sam twisted one of the dials cautiously, the hum cut off, and silently a bubble of purple twisted strands of light sprang up to encircle her.  
  
"Hey, you got it to work!" said Daniel, removing his notes irritably from the inquisitive alien woman's gaze. He was pleased to see a proper smile on Sam's face, the first of that day, albeit tinged with violet light-play.  
  
"Can you turn it off?" asked Selmak, looking curiously at the gyrating ribbons of the shield. Sam nodded, and obligingly turned the dial back again.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
Robskere narrowed his eyes, sudden unwelcome memories clamouring for attention. The purple light... the sub-space inverter.... He started forward with a warning forming on his mind...  
  
Sam put her hand up to tap the light. And screamed.  
  
Her fingers were transfixed, burning purple light rippling up her arm in waves of pain. She started to turn, tear-filled eyes unconsciously seeking out the one she knew would help.  
  
"CARTER!" yelled Jack, springing forward and grabbing for her arm through the wildly twisting shield. In that instant, the shield emitted a silent implosion of blinding white light.  
  
When the occupants of the room had desperately cleared their sight, both of them had disappeared.  
  
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A/N: I'm off for two weeks on a sailing holiday, no internet on the boat!!( So no updates... but lots when I come back! PLEASE click that little review button, I really would appreciate the help... =n.n= Thanks all. ~Kitty 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
A/N: Okay, I managed to churn another couple of chapters out before I left. Sorry this one is short, it's like an intermission-y one... R&R, as always! ^- ^  
  
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Daniel blinked his hurting eyes, white after-flashes fading everywhere. This did not change what he saw in front of him, and his face creased in denial. The purple twisting bubble had returned to normal, taking up half the table, and the chair, and the space where Sam had been standing scant seconds before. It hummed innocently, belying its lurking danger.  
  
General Hammond was the first to break the silence.  
  
"What the hell was that?" he said, his slow voice turning confused and more than a little angry. No one said anything, but Robskere raised his hand hesitantly.  
  
"There is something similar we have heard of.. Kaylyna, do you remember the world of Fenkiral? They were researching sub-space interface technology discovered..."  
  
The brown woman frowned, the red tattoos on her face creasing before her expression cleared slightly. "I remember. Doctor Daniel, may I see your original translations?" She impatiently held her hand out for the papers.  
  
"Woah, woah!" said Daniel, looked annoyed and non-plussed. "Aren't you all missing the point here? WHERE did Jack and Sam go?"  
  
"And how can we get them back?" said Jacob, a hollow note in his voice as he stared at the glowing bubble that had snatched his daughter away.  
  
"If you let me check those translations, I can help you," said Kaylyna confidently. "If it truly is a sub-space interface, not shield..."  
  
"Interface?" said General Hammond, striding over to her to get her attention. Robskere spoke up again.  
  
"If it as one, then the Colonel and the woman will have been transported through subspace to the nearest working other device."  
  
"Like the black hole in the Stargate?"  
  
Robskere shifted uncomfortably. "Not exactly... the interface is usually used to send radio signals or plaque-messages, little things. The other devices usually create tiny bubbles... the upsilon fields generated for an inter- dimensional jump of a person would have to be huge. I believe this one is so large because... well maybe she has put the crystals in a certain way?"  
  
Jacob spoke up again. "You seem to know a bit about this. Do you know where another one is, that they might have gone to?"  
  
"Well, there were several on Fenkiral, but only tiny. I did not get long to study them"  
  
"I vote we go there, find out how they work... and find out where they are," said Daniel firmly, not noticing as his papers were neatly lifted from his unresisting hands by Kaylyna.  
  
"If it's the best we have to go on. Why don't you take Teal'c and these two – with your permission of course - " the General's look however indicated that he didn't care whether they wanted to or not, "– and make a trip to this place. Get the address for the Stargate."  
  
"We could even send someone through the interface after them," said Sargitilin tentatively. "With new knowledge we could help them...  
  
Kaylyna, busy leafing through the sheaves of paper, said almost absently, "The writings of Fenkiral mentioned that protective suits were provided if ever a human were to travel the sub-space interface, because of the abrasive effect of the field it creates... if the pair even made it through, there is a high chance that they will already be dead."  
  
Daniel turned a sick look towards Jacob.  
  
"Already dead..."  
  
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	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
A/N: Got a bit carried away here. Not for squeamish people (not too much blood actually, but enough x3) R&R!!!  
  
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Jack blinked open his aching eyes. Closing them again in a hurry, he tried to marshal his thoughts. Right, take stock. Arms? Legs? Yup, still seem to be there. But it was touch and go. There was burning pain everywhere, threatening to engulf his mind and sink him back towards unconsciousness. Whatever they'd gone through, it sure as hell hurt. And Carter...  
  
Suddenly he remembered that few seconds in the artefact room, where time had stretched out endlessly. He saw her blue eyes crystalline with pain, her blonde head turning towards him with wordless pleas etched into her face, begging him to do something. And he couldn't bear it, the way she had screamed, that light pulsing up her arm, and he had to stop it. And he had jumped forward, and his shoulder had hit the light first, and the agony had hit him like a fist in the stomach. Then we were here.  
  
He struggled suddenly to get up. Where was she? God, what would he do if she wasn't there? He opened his eyes again and tried to focus on the rocky ceiling far above. So far, so good. Now to get up. He rolled over, onto his left side. Black spots danced in front of his eyes at the hideous pain and he retched, coughing weakly. Okay, that was a bad idea. Try the other side. He eventually got to his knees, and as soon as he put his head up, blood started running into his eye from somewhere.  
  
"Shit."  
  
He croaked the expletive, raising a trembling hand to wipe his eyes. No time! Where was she? He cast around slowly, then suddenly spotted her slender figure thrown doll-like against the nearby dusty wall. Her head was thrown backwards, and her face looked like someone had scrubbed sandpaper across it. Jack tried to get to his feet, but that wasn't going anywhere, so he settled for crawling over towards her, fear mixing with the pain in his head.  
  
He reached out to her neck for a pulse. For a few agonising moments he felt nothing, then a faint bound jumped against his fingers. He smiled slightly.  
  
"Carter? Carter, will you wake up, dammit," He said softly at first, then trying to inject his military authority into it, as if he was trying to bully her into consciousness. Jack looked down at the rest of her, checking for the most serious injuries. God, her right arm looked like it had been in a flash fire, raw and shiny and red. Where her black shirt hadn't protected her skin, there was the sandpaper effect – like a giant graze everywhere. She didn't seem to be bleeding severely where he could see, but her knee looked at a funny angle, and she was still unconscious. Damn!  
  
"Come on, Carter, don't give up," he muttered, trying to take off his jacket as his fuzzy mind registered need for bandages. "One thing's for sure, you ain't leaving me here on my own, no way to get back," he continued, wondering if he had concussion or something. "Okay, jacket – OW! – jacket for binding arm, check. Carter, come on! Wake up, willya?"  
  
As he tried to manoeuvre her burnt arm, her head rolled forward, and her eyes started blinking rapidly. She coughed slightly, and raised her other arm to weakly bat away his hand on the burn. Jack smiled widely, the pain forgotten for a second.  
  
"Thank God. Come on, Sam!"  
  
Sam coughed again, and tried to focus her eyes on the worried brown ones above her. Did she just hear someone calling her name? The Colonel? No, he would never do that. Holy crap, her arm hurt. Come to think of it, she ached abominably all over. And her knee, and her fingers, and he kept trying to move them. He... Jack...it was him!  
  
"Jack?" she tried to say, then suddenly remembered. "Sir?"  
  
"Carter, you had me worried there for a second," he said practically, wiping away the blood from his face again and taking his jacket off her arm. But he hadn't missed that, where she had called him by his name. And for some reason he was absurdly happy, despite the situation. Maybe she didn't hate him so much, after all.  
  
"I want to deal with your knee. It looks dislocated." He continued, shuffling over the sandy floor. She was still blinking, trying to reorient herself, but nevertheless nodded.  
  
As he gently lifted up her knee, her face under its red graze paled to an unhealthy shade. "Hurts bad, huh," he said, keeping talking, if anything else to keep himself on track. "I'm not the Doc, but I'll try put it back, okay?" He glanced at his own hands as if they belonged to someone else. They seemed grazed too.  
  
"Sure," she replied hoarsely, struggling to sit up. She propped herself on one arm to watch him as he looked back worriedly at her. She smiled her reassurance. If there was anyone she trusted more, she doubted it. Then he pulled at her knee sharply, and she nearly passed out again, turning over to retch as he clumsily strapped it back in place.  
  
"I'm so sorry sir," she said, mortification colouring her voice.  
  
Jack just smiled and pointed over to where he had been sitting a while before. "Chill it, Carter. Nothing I can't cope with." He automatically reached up to wipe his eyes again, then scrubbed his stained, aching hand on his trousers. "There. Feel any better?"  
  
"I expect it will in a minute, sir." She leant back against the wall, closing her eyes and trying to control herself. She opened them again and they automatically sought the Colonel. He was busy trying to tighten the jacket binding on her knee. On his left shoulder his black shirt was torn and ragged; she could see his face and arms were rubbed as raw as hers felt, and a contusion on his head was busy dripping blood into his eyes. Even as she watched, a runnel of it ran down across his face. He sat back on his heels, closing his eyes for a second as if he was dizzy. Then he opened them again, and realised she was watching him, and she looked aside.  
  
"What... about you, sir? At least let me do something about that cut," she said, beckoning him towards her. He obediently shuffled forward to sit beside her, and handed her a tissue from his pocket.  
  
"Ow."  
  
"Only take a minute, sir," she said, cleaning his head with painful fingers.  
  
"Ow. Ow, Carter! Get off will you?"  
  
"Sir, get a grip, and pay attention," she said sharply, suddenly remembering why she'd been so angry with him earlier. He tried to raise an eyebrow at her.  
  
"You're not my mother, Carter."  
  
"Stop acting like a six-year-old then," she retorted, trying to bring herself to be more rough with cleaning the wound, but she couldn't bring herself to do it any more than gently. O'Neill's brown eyes took on their usual sarcastic stare, and he looked about to say something, and then he stopped.  
  
She looked at him expectantly, waiting for the reply, but instead a fleeting gentle look crossed his face, and was then replaced with apologetic admission.  
  
"Sorry, Carter."  
  
She blinked, more than a little surprised, and then let her hand fall back to the floor. "All done," she said, and if her tone was a little less harsh, and a little softer, Jack picked up every bit. His face remained unreadable, and then he grinned ruefully.  
  
"Move over. Don't think I can stay up much longer without that handy piece of wall to lean against," he said, twisting round and wincing as he leant slightly on his shoulder. As comfortable as was able he let himself relax a little, and then suddenly looked up.  
  
"Next thing on the agenda, Carter..."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Where the hell are we?"  
  
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	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
A/N: Done lots over the hols^^ too much J&S side of the story though, I really should write the rest of Daniel's side... this is the last bit for a while... *gah*  
  
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Teal'c slowly finished buckling his equipment, and his face was more than its studious blank. Daniel came up and laid a silent hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Come on, Teal'c," he said. Anger and frustration was still running haywire through the normally placid mind of the archaeologist, and he needed the support of the tall Jaffa as much as he could feel Teal'c stilted movements in his large frame.  
  
"It should not have happened, Daniel Jackson," replied Teal'c with finality, pulling a tightening strap with a tug that betrayed the emotion that broke through the patient façade of his demeanour.  
  
"Well, the best thing we can be doing right now, is what we are," said Daniel, sighing and letting his hand drop. "General Hammond and Jacob are trying to contact the Asgard for help, but even they still need the locations of the devices. And they need us - " he emphasised the words with a jerk of his thumb, "- to get it."  
  
"In which case, I see no need for any delay," said Teal'c, striding up towards the metallic ramp in the Gate room where they were standing. "Are you ready to depart, Vanir-ta?" he almost barked. Robskere looked up from where he was tinkering with his hovering MALP device.  
  
"Nearly there, worthy Teal'c," he said nervously, feeling not a little apprehensive of the Jaffa. Kaylyna beside him rolled her eyes and shifted the bag of note-plaques in her arms to a more comfortable place. Earlier, Daniel, glad for the distraction, had displayed curiousity at the Vanir-ta paper substitute. The plaques were things like PDAs, with long stylus-operated screens that the pair took down their notes. They had also been given back their brekken-ah guns, but they did not wear them, as the first stop through the Gate was Alsheim, their own home world and their base of operations.  
  
"We are the Vanir-ta, or children of the gods, and our blessed home is Alsheim," Kaylyna had explained as she was packing. Daniel had replied with the fact that many cultures had refered to themselves as such, and the alien woman favoured him with a brief smile.  
  
"We have often found so in our research," she had continued. "On Alsheim the country is ruled by City states, governed by councils of elders. There are five cities on our continent; we are from Jalfjor. But our elders are money-hungry businessmen, intent on the winning our war against Slarjorvik. They have sent scientists roaming to discover more of the ancient technology, so much of which is lost now... they profess that they need the weaponry to defend against the nomad wild tribes of Lokir, but we know better. That is why we have hidden our discovery of the Sider-Ost."  
  
She had shut her bag with a snap then, and the conversation was over. Daniel turned this over in his mind as the officer in the command room above tapped in the corresponding symbols from the paper in front of him. As the last chevron engaged, the familiar blue ripples sprang up to fill the stone ring at the top of the ramp. Robskere set his MALP going again and stood upright with a stretch.  
  
"We go," said Teal'c shortly, moving forward with a determined stride. Kaylyna hastily scurried after him, saying "Careful of the edge on the other side, worthy Teal'c – "before her form was swallowed by the event horizon.  
  
Daniel gestured sardonically for Robskere to proceed in front of him. The scientist threw a slightly hurt look behind him, and Daniel cleared his expression with a sigh. He was picking up Jack's bad habits again. And it was hardly the Vanir-ta's fault that Jack and Sam were gone. No, not gone – missing. They would be found. With that thought, he turned to give General Hammond a farewell gesture, before stepping through.  
  
The accustomed chill and vague feeling of translation nevertheless woke him up a little bit as Daniel stepped into the ruined hall on the other side. Skirting the gaping hole in the masonry immediately in front of the gate, he looked ahead as the Gate winked out behind him.  
  
They were in a large, vaulted hall of lowering cold stone. However at one end it was partly ruined, and yellow sunlight splashed over the far corner. Daniel wandered over to where the other three stood expectantly, noting with sharp eyes the dust-skirted DHD and the chipped markings at the bottom corner of one of the walls. He muttered a half-hearted apology as the travellers headed through the side door. Here the passageway was unroofed, open to the brilliant blue sky above, and blazing sunshine boiled down into the stone way, turning it a warm reddish hue. Daniel began to feel uncomfortably ho, and turned his head irritably as they entered another, smaller room. Here there was living equipment; two neatly turned bunks against the wall, a computer screen of some kind, a couple of large tables strewn with plaques, a small grey machine with an unfinished bowl of food tucked into it. There was life here; there was an irritated mewling noise. Teal'c swung his head to pinpoint the sound, and leant down to peer under one of the bunks as the four of them spread about the room. They all suddenly span round as Teal'c jerked backwards, with a blur of speed and an unknown yowling.  
  
"Stop, don't hurt it," said Kaylyna hurriedly. Teal'c held a twisting, spitting creature that fluttered brown feathery wings. The Jaffa regarded it coldly, and a trickle of blood from a scratch on his cheek started to dry up as they watched. Robskere grabbed for it and started trying to calm the creature, and Kaylyna stifled a giggle. It quickly disappeared as Teal'c transferred a stare to her. Daniel shrugged and looked back at the creature that Robskere held, seeming to be a winged feline of some sort.  
  
"I told you the tyrfon needed feeding," said Kaylyna, turning her head from Teal'c unnerving gaze and hurrying for the grey machine, half-apologetic. "We keep it to warn us of Lokir attack."  
  
Daniel nodded, his attention diverted as he spotted the cleared sunward wall. A sheet of material with charcoal rubbings on it was lying beside the pillar, and the whole wall was covered in hieroglyphs and sections of Ancient script.  
  
"This is more like it," he said, crossing with eager step to stare up it at. Kaylyna came up beside him, hurriedly sweeping the strewn plaques on her work table into a big pile and sorting through them.  
  
"As far as I've got, it's a record of the people who were left this Sider- Ost, and some of the addresses for it," she said, glancing down at the plaque in her hand. "There."  
  
"Where?"  
  
Kaylyna ran a finger up the wll unitl it came to rest on a certain section. Daniel squinted at it, lips moving as he tried to work it out.  
  
"And that is?" he said, realiseing it was easier to ask.  
  
"That would be the address for Fenkiral," said Kaylyna, a touch of smugness in her voice.  
  
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	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sam sighed.  
  
"Your guess is as good as mine, sir."  
  
"Right then. We digress. What the hell happened?"  
  
"I would surmise... maybe a transporter? Because this isn't the SGC," replied Sam, more than a little bemused and starting to take in the surroundings. Jack threw her a sideways ironic glance.  
  
"No kidding."  
  
"Seriously, sir. I don't know why but this place reminds me of pyramid chambers..." She shifted uncomfortably. And indeed, the small sandy room devoid of decoration did look like the inside of the Goa'uld pyramids. It had only one thin doorway, and the stone slab across it was resolutely shut. At the closer end of the room was a dusty replica of the machine that even now sat innocuously on a table at Stargate Command.  
  
"Look familiar, sir?" she smiled faintly, indicating with a nod the device. Jack glared at it.  
  
"Damn alien machinery. One day we're going to get our act together and leave this stuff alone... you want me to get up and check it out?"  
  
Jack sat forward from his resting place against the wall, drew his knees up and propped his elbows on them. He blinked slowly as his head swam, but then energetically pushed himself upwards.  
  
"Gah."  
  
"Sir, don't you think you should wait a little longer?" said Carter anxiously, leaning forward as well.  
  
"We're not going anywhere by just sitting here, Carter. This thing got us here, it's got to get us back," he stated, concentrating on keeping upright. Nothing he couldn't handle.  
  
"But surely we should check the door first?"  
  
"I guess you have a point," winced Jack as he tenderly felt his shoulder. Swinging on his heel, he walked briskly – tried to walk briskly – towards the slab lintels. As the thought of unfriendly welcome crossed his mind, his hand automatically slid to his weapon. Except it was still on the table in the equipment room.  
  
"Damn! Got a weapon, Carter?" he said, looking back to where the Major was experimentally putting her raw hands on either side of her in an attempt to rise.  
  
"Colonel, I don't even have a jacket," she said with disgust, partly at her own weakness, partly at their situation. Jack paused, then looked back to the door.  
  
"Right. Yes."  
  
"Maybe we should take inventory?" she replied diffidently, giving up on rising and trying to turn out her pockets with grazed hands. Jack shrugged and limped back over, rummaging in his own pockets.  
  
Inventory was revealing.  
  
"A screwdriver, a biro, two broken watches, a penknife, a squashed Granola bar and your yoyo," said Sam sardonically, unconsciously cradling her right arm and sorting through with the other.  
  
"Hey, don't forget this rare and useful treasure," said Jack with bitter humour, tossing a small grey object on to the pile.  
  
"A Gameboy cartridge???"  
  
"Legends of Zelda will make a great bargaining piece," he said offhandedly, reaching down with a wince for his knife. Sam ducked her head to hide the smile.  
  
"Why don't you take a look at that doohickey, if you can?" Jack called, making his way back towards the door to look for an opening mechanism.  
  
"Yes, sir," she nodded compliance, tucking her screwdriver back in her pocket and dragged herself carefully a little closer to the device.  
  
On closer examination it appeared to be almost exactly the same, only built and finished. On a low raised area beside it was the piece covered in writing (and a set of buttons) that her father and Daniel had been looking at scant minutes? Hours? Days? ago. There was no purple shield light however, and she carefully did not touch the dials. Instead she reached round for the crystal drive, a smile flickering across her face as she felt the release switch. Just as she was about to remove it, she heard a hiss from Jack.  
  
"Ssst, Carter," he snapped quietly, making a decisive cut off motion with his hand. She stilled instantly, only moving her head to show her questioning expression. Jack was edging back round to the side of the door from where he'd been tapping it, and at her unspoken question he held up a sandpapered hand with his thumb folded in. People coming. He then gestured toward the inventory, and she leant over to start scooping pieces back into her pockets, hissing softly through her teeth as she jarred her wrist. Meanwhile Jack stepped back as quietly as possible to flatten himself beside the door, his little penknife held poised to move on anyone who entered.  
  
They both froze again as metal clanged dully on metal outside. Footsteps measured their way up to the doorway and a lazy order was called out in an unknown tongue. Glancing over at Jack's determined face, Sam swallowed and took courage from it. As the door began to grind upwards into the ceiling, a shape was silhouetted in the piercing unaccustomed light beyond.  
  
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	10. Chapter 10 a short intermission

Chapter 10  
  
A/N: very short look back at the SGC. ^.~  
  
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Jacob had been busy conversing with Sargitilin. Or rather, it had been Selmak; Jacob had become withdrawn, and so Selmak, being fond of Sam and Jack also, had been discussing plans. The Tok'ra man felt far too helpless, once Daniel and Teal'c had gone offworld; General Hammond had insisted on continuing to run the base as normal, sending out SG-7 and making the regular contacts with SG-16, 11 and 3. The events of the artefact room had not been divulged; if curious questions came after the Colonel or Major Carter, they were busy, alongside the scientists. Daniel and Teal'c had gone with the alien people to investigate their world a little more. Meanwhile the Tok'ra were still feverishly studying the interface.  
  
"I see no harm in trying, if we throw them in," argued Selmak.  
  
"Why not just try radio signals? There would likely be a receiver on the other side, after all these were message interfaces," pointed out Sargitilin.  
  
"But possibly not. Maybe its broken. And the question is academic, as you cannot send weapons by radio," retorted Selmak sarcastically.  
  
"But then communication is also difficult! We have no plaques such as those the Vanir-ta were using, and you heard about the abrasive properties of the shield. Paper would end up scoured thin with no writing on," replied Sargitilin, setting his jaw. At the side Markasli tentatively raised a hand.  
  
"Could we not laminate, as the Tau'rii put it, the paper?"  
  
"That could work," said Selmak, jumping on the idea.  
  
"Or even just encasing the paper in a thick plastic or metal tube," pointed out Markasli diffidently, rolling her eyes. "It seems obvious, Sarg."  
  
"So we put the weapons and the message in a metal box, and throw it in," said Selmak firmly, casting round until he saw the boxes of equipment they had brought with them. "Fourun, pass me one of those containers, will you?"  
  
Obtaining two zat guns from the SGC after a hurried phone conversation with General Hammond, Selmak finished writing the message. It outlined the fact that they were not forgotten, the Asgard were on their trail and that supplies would be sent in a few hours once contact was established. At the bottom, after quiet thought, he asked that they throw back the metal box, so that the SGC would know that they are still alive.  
  
Selmak sighed deeply and dropped the pen on the table, crossing to drop the folded paper into the box. Sargitlin followed him anxiously as Jacob/Selmak strode over to the still humming shield. A protective and hurried barrier of chairs and cones had been set up around the shield, to prevent any accidental touching. Selmak leaned over and moved the chairs out of the way enough to slide through.  
  
"Are you sure this is the correct course of action?" Sargitilin kept trying. Selmak stiffened, and there was a slight change in him. Jacob looked up with burning eyes.  
  
"It's better than nothing, Sarg," he said quietly. Facing back towards the shield, feeling a little silly, he tossed the box and its contents into the interface.  
  
For a moment it hung there, drowning in violet waves, then instantly there was a flare like burning magnesium. The box disappeared. Jacob put his hand down from his eyes, and carefully backed away until he was safely behind the barrier again.  
  
"What now?" asked Markasli quietly.  
  
"We wait for them to reply. And for Daniel and Teal'c to succeed," replied Jacob grimly.  
  
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	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
A/N: A longer chapter this time.^-^ Back with Sam and Jack again!  
  
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"Hebrak? Joatl meiqa?"  
  
As the stone door rumbled open, the tanned man behind emitted a cry of surprise and alarm as he saw the blonde woman sitting on the floor. Both he and his skin-clad companion levelled their bronze-edged spears at her, and one began to stride forward, drawing a primitive knife from his belt, his face twisted in a scowl.  
  
Jack struck. In an explosive movement he flung himself round, using the penknife as a club and hammering a sharp blow to the man's temple. As he folded silently over, Jack whirled round, delivering an adrenalin-fueled kick to the other man's stomach, but not before his opponent had knocked his hand back with a vicious thrust of his spear.  
  
Jack stifled his yell and hooked a foot behind the man's knees, grabbing the spear shaft and pulling it forward, the combination causing the man to double over. He stamped heavily on the man's neck, forcing him to the floor, and retrieving the heavy spear as it began to fall. Knocking the guy out with the spear shaft, he spun around once more to check for more enemies. In the ensuing silence, the only sound was his harsh breathing, and he staggered suddenly to lean against the wall.  
  
Sam had swiftly picked up the first spear as it clattered to the floor, and she struggled to her feet, using it as a prop.  
  
"Sir?" she limped forward as he began to slide gently down against the wall. At her voice his eyes snapped open, and he straightened up.  
  
"Yo," he replied with a skewed grin, standing forward with the stave hanging loosely in his left hand. Ignoring the screaming pain, he smiled again and peered out of the doorway. Stepping carefully over the prone man in the doorway, he looked up the torchlit corridor.  
  
"Crap!" he hissed, jumping back suddenly as three arrows clattered and skidded across the floor. Stumbling over the man behind him, he ended up falling heavily to the floor.  
  
Sam narrowed her eyes and limped forward. But by then there were more irate voices, running feet, and hard-eyed soldiers came pounding up. She took up a stance with her own anger becoming cold, and as Jack struggled to his feet behind her with choice oaths sputtering a soldier grabbed for her weapon. Flicking it inexpertly around to smack against his arm, her burnt right hand slipped off with treacherous grasp. Another of the reinforcements twisted the spear away with a round movement of his own, and the original man, a bruise darkening his arm in an angry line, hissed something at her and seized her flailing wrist.  
  
At the rough grasp she stumbled forward, her face white and an involuntary gasp of pain escaping her. She was held then by two others, and the annoyed one clamped a hand across her mouth. Another three hauled a wincing Jack to his feet, his hands twisted cruelly behind him.  
  
"Hey, leave off of her, can't you see she's hurt?" he demanded, angrily struggling between his captors. Another man came stalking up the sandy passageway. He snapped something at them. Jack gave him a blank look.  
  
"Try again, non comprendy," he said with a bitter stare.  
  
"Stay where you are, or you will die." repeated the man in guttural English, leaning forward with a venomous glance. Out of the corner of his eye Jack could see the Major's pleading look. He shrugged.  
  
"You're the man with the weapon, I guess you make the rules," he replied off-handedly, but inwardly seething. Then he was roughly pushed forward into a march, a round-eyed soldier collecting their pile of inventory and then scurrying to catch up with the column as they proceeded outwards.  
  
~~~  
  
As their footsteps echoed into the distance, the small room became silent again, the door grinding down to leave the place in its semi-darkness, the small skylight filtering dusty light into the heavy solitude. Almost apologetically, the machine coughed into light, and a tiny square of purple, twisting ribbons of light sprang up. An alien metal box clattered across the room as it was spat out, and the machine subsided into quiet once more.  
  
~~~  
  
One forced march later, or in Sam's case, half-drag, the two members of SG- 1 were brought blinking out of the ruins of an ancient pyramid into the humid jungle trails beyond. The sun filtered damply through the steaming trees, and the forest was alive with sounds. They set of down the muddy well-trodden path, passing a small hut by the boundaries of the ruinous pyramid.  
  
Sam had tried to communicate a little with their guards, who looked a little like Amazon Indians; however, any attempt to speak was silenced with a contemptuous slap, and so Jack marched on in fuming silence. It was not far before they reached another pyramid, but this one was of grey stone, carved into high steps all the way up, and considerably less ruined. Some sort of open square with primitive buldings was huddled in its shadow, and people were moving normally about; at their approach, every head snapped in their direction, examining critically the strangely-garbed prisoners.  
  
Eventually a man with a green semi-cloak of iridescent feathers, far grander than the scant furs and skins worn by the others, came forward, and held a brief conversation in the foreign tongue with the hard-eyed leader. The green-robed man gestured towards the large stone construction at the base of the step pyramid, running a cold glance over the bruised Jack and lingering on pale Sam. He then turned on his heel and the patrol followed him to the building. The two prisoners were dumped unceremoniously in the warm interior.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Jack asked under his breath, looking sideways at Carter whose head was hanging limply forward as she slumped on the floor. She lifted her eyes enough to give him a sarcastic stare.  
  
"Fine, under the circumstances," she gritted between her teeth.  
  
"Looks like we've met the traditional Head Doodah here," continued Jack conversationally as he watched their guard leader make deep obeisance to the arrogant character on the raised dais. "We just gotta hope he's not Goa'uld, like that pyramid."  
  
"I'm hoping not, sir."  
  
Just then they were both hauled to their feet by uncaring hands, and dragged forward. Sam stood defiantly straight on her swollen knee, the Colonel's jacket starting to slip down during the march. Jack stepped forward slightly.  
  
"Okay, you've captured us. Congratulations, hang out the flags. Don't actually appreciate it, myself, so how'd you say to letting us out of here? Friends, and all that?" he said, gesturing appeal with raised eyebrows.  
  
The green-robed man snapped something that could have been English at him, and the Colonel favoured him with another blank stare.  
  
"Either that was a command to shut up, or you're offering us free coffee," said Jack innocently. Sam smiled inwardly but kept her face impassive as Green Robe rolled his eyes and strode forward.  
  
"Silence, prisoners!" he said, this time in the guttural-sounding English, looking red-faced.  
  
"Ah, I was right the first time."  
  
"Silence!" yelled Green Robe, his face turning even more crimson.  
  
The man on the throne of polished and adorned wood leaned forward, and pointed imperiously at Sam.  
  
"Dak minar otl." Straining their ears, neither of the prisoners could pick up the characteristic Goa'uld accents. Jack grinned slightly with relief.  
  
A guard paced forward and impersonally grabbed Sam's shoulder to make her turn on the spot. She stumbled, and would have fallen, but was pulled upright again. She fixed angry blue eyes on the Head Man. The latter leant back again with a cat-like smile, and waved an idle hand.  
  
"Zamt ikot Chehak gemo. At – keto tras imqalto."  
  
Green Robe bowed deeply again and walked over to the glaring Sam. He turned his head to the side to look at her knee, then pulled her resisting right hand forward, turning it over in a business-like manner. Sam blanched, but said nothing, and Jack turned back towards them.  
  
"Hey, be careful there," he said again roughly.  
  
Ignoring him Green Robe also smiled satisfactorily.  
  
"Chehak."  
  
"Chehak? What does that mean?" asked Jack, more irately.  
  
Two guards stepped either side of Sam and took her shoulders, starting to march her away. Jack started to follow.  
  
"What the hell is Chehak?" he demanded, shaking off the restraining hand. Green Robe glanced at him, and his smile became feral.  
  
"The rite of Chehak," he replied, slurring the English and pointing to the central mural on the wall beside him.  
  
"What the – oh no. No, no, not to one of my team, buster. Carter! Hey, Carter!" Jack almost shouted, his eyes filling with rage. As his aching shoulder was grabbed he turned round and with brute instinct punched the man in the face. As he reeled off, Jack was immediately set upon by several more.  
  
"Colonel, stop, don't worry about me," Sam called out painfully as she saw him fall in a flurry of kicks and blows, still fighting blindly. Then the guards dragged her around the corner, and out of sight.  
  
~~  
  
Between them two battered soldiers hauled upright the unconscious and bleeding form of O'Neill. They turned a questioning gaze on the Head Man, who laughed lightly and rattled off an order. As the Colonel too was taken away, the court settled down to it's normal low hum of order.  
  
Beside them, torchlight flickered across the muraled wall. Shadows danced across the engraved form of a female figure, bent backwards over an altar filled with fire.  
  
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	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11  
  
A/N: Whoa, got _totally_ carried away here. Next chapter will be back with Danny boy, I promise... but for now, I'll shove this chapter in here ^-^ Please feed me reviews, you know I can't live without them...  
  
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The woman with her two decorous bodyguards walked along the dusty street towards the large wooden slave cages. Vacant eyes stared up at her from behind the dim shadows of the bars, and she shuddered slightly.  
  
Twilight in the jungle heat leant a fragrant green hint to the otherwise fetid village, and the last few rays of the sun still caught the sides of the great grey ziggurat looming above it. At the very top of it, a fire still burned, flickering like a baleful eye/  
  
At one cage, towards the edge of the pens, the woman glanced back at her guards, and pointed a questioning finger towards it. The taller one nodded, and fished out the primitive bolt-key.  
  
The blue-clad woman took down her coarse linen head veil, revealing sweaty blonde curls stuck to her grazed face. Her arm and knee were bound in light fibrous coverings, and there was a peculiar black marking drawn carefully on her cheek. As the guard unlocked to door, the other pushed her gently in, and she nodded submissively as she gathered the skirt about her knees to sit down. She carefully stretched out her bandaged leg in front of her as she settled on the right side of the cage's only other occupant, her knees by his head as he lay unmoving on the floor. Behind her the guards locked the bolt again, bowed their heads, and withdrew.  
  
Leaning over his senseless form, Sam hurriedly felt for a pulse in his neck. After a second she reached to grab for the bark dish of water with her bandaged hand, bringing it over to her side. The cut on Jack's forehead had opened up again, and in the hot jungle air flies were gathering around the sticky mess. Wrinkling her nose slightly, she blew to dislodge the insects, and picked up the discarded headscarf. Dipping one corner in the water, she began to gently clean the blood from his greying hair, which was damp with sweat already. She allowed herself a bitter grin; at least he was not complaining this time.  
  
Once that was done, she turned her attention to the rest of him, and wished once more that they had been equipped for going off-world. Without the field dressings to help her, she instead ripping the veil with practical hands and began dabbing at the bruises and grazes on his chest, leaving his swollen and purple shoulder carefully be. Where the encounter had left her with more clothes, Jack's already tattered shirt had gathered in ragged patches around his shoulder or still tucked in his belt, the material snagging her hand as she worked. Eventually she sat back. Scooping up a handful of the water herself, she drank a little and then wiped her hand dry. Now she just had to wait for him to come round.  
  
She sat there for a while, watching as the emerald shadows deepened and the crickets' loud hum echoed through the jungle. Unconsciously her eyes rested on the peaceful face of the Colonel. His forehead was creased in a light frown, and she put out gentle fingers to smooth them, then letting them linger and trace down his cheek. He had to wake... he was her CO, her best friend, the one who had always pulled them through with his courage and resourcefulness. Her hand continued stroking his face as she remained lost in thought, not daring to consider the other possibilities. Okay, she sometimes found him really annoying, deliberately obtuse, thoughtless in the extreme... especially the last couple of days. That very morning, seeming so long ago, she had been furious with him after putting up with it for so long. But somehow, in this time, in this place, it didn't matter.  
  
His dark eyes flicked open suddenly, and she jerked her hand from his face as if she'd been scolded.  
  
"Carter?"  
  
Somehow he pushed himself upright, facing her and searching her face with disconcerting eyes. Completely inappropriately her heart gave an erratic bound to a faster pace.  
  
"I thought you were dead," he said hoarsely, eyes never leaving hers. Before she could answer he brought his bruised hand to the back of her head and brought her close, pressing his lips to hers hungrily. At first surprise, then forbidden thrill rushed through her, and she wholeheartedly returned it, waves of dizzying sweetness threatening to overtake her. His hand slipped down to her neck, and she made a stifled noise of want and desire.  
  
Then just as suddenly as if they both realised what they were doing, they snapped fearfully back, and he released her, puzzlement and then remorse in his eyes. Both of them were breathing faster, and Sam's eyes reflected dark shades of repressed passion before she turned to stare wordlessly at the floor.  
  
"I'm sorry, I - "  
  
"Sir, I didn't - "  
  
They both spoke simultaneously, and then Sam, her gazed still fixed firmly on the earthen floor, began to speak as if nothing had happened. The invisible barriers, the ones that they had worked so hard to created, sprang silently up again.  
  
"I've been investigating, sir, and I found out where all of our stuff is being kept, though there's something else there that I don't remember us having, like a box or some such, and - "  
  
Jack put his hand to his forehead and winced.  
  
"Uh. Carter, slow down a second. When I last saw you, you were being dragged off for Chehak! And where did you get those clothes?"  
  
His gaze slipped down to the blue dress, and then snapped up again, but not before Sam began to redden. Glad for the twilight she pulled herself together.  
  
"Apparently I have to be able to walk before I get Chehak honour, so they gave me new clothes and bandaged my knee and hand. I don't know what they did, but it sure seems to be working."  
  
She put forward her right hand and flexed her fingers carefully in demonstration.  
  
"And they drew something on my face, but I haven't been able to get to a mirror, so I don't know what it is..."  
  
Jack lifted his head to look at it, and then gave her a lopsided grin.  
  
"If it had a dot to the side, it would be the Arabic word for fish," he commented, turning away and trying to get to his feet. His shoulder seemed to have completely seized up, and he could barely move his left arm without fiery pain racing across it.  
  
"You said Chehak honour, Carter. Have you any idea what Chehak IS?  
  
"Well, I guessed some kind of court duty, or - "  
  
"Carter, they mean to sacrifice you."  
  
In the rapidly encroaching darkness, all her reaction seemed to be was a swift indrawing of breath.  
  
"Don't you think that's a little extreme, sir?"  
  
"I know what I saw, Carter. That green-robed guy was happy to elaborate." He sighed and sat down again. "And I also thought that I'd never see you again."  
  
His voice was very low, and it was his turn to stare at the almost invisible floor as true darkness began to creep into the village.  
  
"Is that why you..."  
  
"I already said I'm sorry. I... didn't mean to drag it all up again. And if I pissed you off this morning in the elevator, I really didn't mean it..." he confessed, leaning back against the thick wooden bars.  
  
"I forgive you, sir." This mention of earlier events at the SGC caused the awkwardness to slip pass, and a hint of laughter remained in her voice.  
  
"So we're good?"  
  
"We're good."  
  
"Great. Right, did you say you knew where our 'inventory' is?" he said lightly, allowing the quotes to slip dryly around the word.  
  
Sam twisted round to sit beside him, leaning against the bars herself.  
  
"There's a hut, round at the east side of the step-pyramid. I saw our 'inventory'," she used his tone, "being taken in. But I swear I saw one of Dad's equipment boxes there too..."  
  
"So maybe the SGC sent something through that shield?" said Jack with a pleased tone.  
  
"I'd say it's probably more like an interface sir, using the subspace inverter combined with the shielding - "  
  
"Uh, any plans on getting our stuff back?" Jack said hurriedly, cutting off her scientific ruminations. He picked at the tatters of his shirt meaningfully. "And any chance of me getting some more clothes?"  
  
"Well, I did manage to formulate a rough idea; I managed to steal my eating knife after they gave me food - "  
  
"You got _dinner_?"  
  
Sam grinned at the sarcastic tone and disbelief, and then turned serious again.  
  
"Obviously those for Chehak must get fed," she replied uncertainly, and then bitterly ironic. "I can hardly keep it down as it is... Anyway, I think if we skirt the place after dark we can grab our stuff and leave."  
  
"You're missing a tiny point here, Carter," said Jack, grasping the bar beside him and trying to budge it. "We appear to be locked in a small wooden cage without tools, in the middle of a bunch of other people locked in small wooden cages."  
  
"Do you have no faith in me, sir?"  
  
"Aw, come off it, Carter."  
  
"When it gets properly dark I'll show you."  
  
"You're not going to pull feminine charms on the guards, are you?"  
  
"Sir!"  
  
But there was the edge of laughter in both of their voices, and Jack ducked his head.  
  
"Don't hit me, I bruise," he said, cringing repentance in his voice, and Sam tossed her head mock indignantly. Unseen in the dark she rolled her eyes, and swung her leg out as she began to get to her feet.  
  
Favouring her knee only a little, she limped over to the doorway where the guards had left so long before. Leaning against it, she pressed her face against the bars in seeming despair, waiting for darkness to entirely swallow the place. From neighbouring cages she heard low voices, a wailing child slapped into silence. Swallowing, she shook her head and concentrated. It should be dark enough by now.  
  
Without seeming to move, her hand slid into the carrying fold of the strange garment she was wearing, and retrieved the crude bronze prong she had been eating with. Nothing of her moved except that hand, and she carefully picked the lock. In fact, it was easy, and she eventually turned back and wandered over to where Jack was still sitting quietly. As she dropped down beside him, he raised an unseen eyebrow and spoke in a low voice.  
  
"So?"  
  
"So what?"  
  
"Sooo, can we get the door open?"  
  
"The lock is incredibly primitive, sir. I've picked Yale locks before. In fact I - "  
  
"Carter!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Can – we – get – out?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"THANKyou." He leaned back against the bars. Now their night vision was becoming better, the Colonel could see across the edge of the village towards the couple of guards vigilant by the other end. He glanced back at his 2IC.  
  
"I reckon if we go past around the back of these cages. Slip out low, you go round and get the stuff. I want to know what's in that box we've been sent – the other stuff isn't really important. Especially if they've thought. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd sent us a couple P90s. I could - " He paused a moment. However, thinking in the same vein, Sam had already continued.  
  
"You can stay in the cage in case someone comes. Those guards are different from the ones I had earlier, it's possible they weren't told I was here. So stay here and wait for me? I have local clothing; it shouldn't be too hard to get some clothes and a bandage for your shoulder, sir. Then I bring it back, we both leave, I get that box, and we head for the jungle."  
  
"I don't really need that bandage, Carter."  
  
"Sir." Her tone brooked no argument.  
  
"Right. Sounds good. Only problem I can see is what the hell are we going to do in the jungle?"  
  
"WAY ahead of you, sir." Her smile widened as she let her greatest bit of news out. "I've seen some murals. Apparently in that big ancient Goa'uld pyramid, as well as the interface device, there's a ring transporter."  
  
"Which will take us?"  
  
"Somewhere without Chehak?"  
  
"You have a point. Okay – move out."  
  
She made to get up, but the Colonel caught her arm suddenly.  
  
"Maybe it's not such a good idea to go out there with 'fish' written on your face...."  
  
"How do you know that anyway, sir?" she asked as he tried to find a clean piece of headscarf to clean her face with.  
  
"I have this thing about fish, Carter. I couldn't stop until I'd learnt it in as many languages as Danny has." said O'Neill, feigning surprise as he dipped the material in the water. Hesitating for a second, he took her face gently to start cleaning the mark, which started slowly coming off.  
  
Trying to ignore the hypersensitive feeling wherever his fingers brushed roughly against her skin, Sam swallowed and then looked quizzically as what he had actually had said filtered through.  
  
"You _what_?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Learnt the word - "  
  
Jack laughed as he finished removing the mark.  
  
"Come on, Carter. Do you really think that's me?"  
  
"No... I guess not..." she said, utterly bemused.  
  
"Well then."  
  
She stood up again, headed for the door.  
  
"Carter." This time his voice was serious, but almost tender in its tone.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Be careful."  
  
"I will, sir."  
  
There was a moment of awkward silence, and then Jack spoke up again.  
  
"And if possible, you'd better pick up my yoyo, okay?"  
  
Sam smiled and slipped quietly out of the door.  
  
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	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
  
A/N sorry this is quite short, Daniel's side of the story this time. n_n  
  
....  
  
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Daniel and Teal'c stepped cautiously down the earthen ramp of the Stargate, once more on a foreign planet. Trees again; Jack would have be pleased. Daniel allowed himself a smile before looking ahead to where the two Vanir- ta were.  
  
This Stargate was quite high up, a mountainous area on a cool and drizzly planet. The grey clouds overhead were dripping rain over the rocky field and the three bored guards. As the event horizon spat out its travellers, the Fenkirali raised threatening lasers, advancing determinedly towards them. Kaylyna had bounced ahead, gesturing widely with her free hand and speaking rapidly. Daniel and Teal'c exchanged glances, then shrugged and followed the silent Robskere.  
  
With their new grey-clad companions, they set off down the paved winding track to a city carved into the rock-face itself. Kaylyna hurriedly explained that they were welcomed back, but because of the presence of the two Tau'rii they had to visit the Senate quarters.  
  
As they trod through the quiet dank streets of the mountain citadel city, Daniel reached up and began to wipe the drizzle from his glasses. He was a little uneasy; maybe it was just because he'd been in a boiling hot climate a few hours before. Catching a sneeze in his throat he glanced over at Teal'c. The Jaffa didn't look too fazed, but then he never really did.  
  
Daniel shrugged off the feeling and then nearly bumped into the back of brown-clad Robskere. He was about to mumble an apology, but just then he caught sight of another Fenkirali, sweeping down the steps of the imposing building they had reached.  
  
"Welcome, my friends the Vanir-ta," the tall man, a dark beard obscuring his face and a deep sad voice, said in English. "And who are these that we must welcome?"  
  
Daniel stepped forward himself to answer. He inclined his head politely before starting.  
  
"I'm Doctor Daniel Jackson, of Earth, and this is Teal'c, also of my planet – now."  
  
Teal'c nodded deeply in return, but the tall man's dark eyes darted over him scrutinisingly.  
  
"Teal'c? You are of the Jaffa, are you not?" Without waiting for an answer he turned coldly to Kaylyna. "Explain, Miss Kaylyna, why you thought it appropriate to bring a servant of the Goa'uld here?"  
  
"I am no servant to the false gods of the Goa'uld," stated Teal'c firmly with a chilling edge to his voice. "If you have heard of the Goa'uld and Jaffa, then you would also know of the Jaffa rebellion, which myself and Master Bra'tac lead. Do not insult either of us by assumptions."  
  
Daniel raised his eyebrows and then let out the subconscious breath he was holding, trying not to wince at the bluntness of Teal'c but also grinning inwardly.  
  
"It is as Teal'c said. We are Tau'rii, seeking advice and knowledge of certain technologies that have snatched our friends away – a subspace interface, possibly?"  
  
The Fenkirali man was impassive. "I will speak to the Senate leader of this. In the mean time, please come inside. The hour is late and those unused to our weather may find it chill."  
  
With that he turned on his heel and stalked back into the building. Kaylyna turned with her eyes wide in her brown face.  
  
"You could have been a bit more polite," she whispered annoyed under her breath as they trooped inside. Daniel wisely did not answer and instead concentrated on the architecture of this new civilization, and their manners. Oh, and trying not to sneeze again.  
  
~~~  
  
About two hours later, after even Daniel had began to get a little bored, the bearded man returned. Daniel stood up hurriedly and was about to speak, but was cut off.  
  
"The Senate are still unsure of the inclination of these Tau'rii," the man spoke to Kaylyna, blanking Teal'c and Daniel completely. "It depends on what services they can offer in return whether we can reveal to them anything of the subspace interfaces."  
  
Kaylyna looked back unsure at Daniel, who was frowning and inwardly angry, despite his normally diplomatic outlook. And she had said that *they* were impolite...  
  
"I'm sure that there are services the Tau'rii can perform," said Robskere unexpectedly. "I myself will offer what I can do as well."  
  
Daniel took his chance. "We have knowledge of a large number of Goa'uld technologies, Teal'c especially. I myself specialise in languages, similar to Kaylana."  
  
The bearded man narrowed his eyes, but this time not threateningly.  
  
"Miss Kaylyna, do you remember the writings in the interface room?"  
  
"Perhaps Doctor Daniel can help," she finished excitedly, "where I could not."  
  
Daniel blinked. Despite her annoying character, perhaps Kaylyna was not really disposed against them. Beside them the Fenkirali bowed.  
  
"I believe then your skills may be useful, Daniel Jackson. You may stay here tonight and then come in the morning to study."  
  
"Uh, is there any way we could look at it sooner?" said Daniel firmly. "You see, we have to rescue - "  
  
"The work will begin in the morning, Daniel Jackson," said the man impassively, gesturing two grey-clad servants forward. "You will be shown your quarters for the night. May your sleepings me pleasant."  
  
Daniel smiled weakly and then threw a dark glare behind him as the four were submissively led off. And then he sneezed.  
  
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End file.
